www.wyflycasters.org
Page 2 OFFICERS Alex Rose, President Melody Weinhandl, President-elect Vacant, Vice President Spencer Amend, Secretary Ed Rate, Treasurer BOARD OF DIRECTORS Terms expire in 2010 Jamie Gibson Joe Meyer Gene Theriault Brent “Smokey” Weinhandl Terms expire in 2011 Bob Fischer Scott Novotny Bill Wichers Vacant Terms expire in 2012 Casey Leary Neil Ruebush Andrew Sauter Matt Stanton The Backcast is the monthly newsletter of the Wyoming Fly Casters, an affiliate club of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited, the Nature Conservancy and the Federation of Fly Fishers. Editorial content does not necessarily reflect the views of the officers, board or members of the Wyoming Fly Casters. Annual dues are $20 for an individual, $30 for a family, or $250 for a lifetime individual membership or $450 for a lifetime family membership. Visit the club website at www.wyflycasters.org. The deadline for submission of information for each issue is the last Wednesday of the month. Make contributions to the next issue by e-mailing material to the Backcast editor at ChevPU57@aol.com, or call (307) 436-8774. The Backcast is available either in electronic format or through USPS snail mail. To receive each newsletter through a monthly e-mail, you must be able to open .pdf (Adobe Acrobat, a software format available free of charge) documents. Generally, each issue is roughly 1 MB in size, some are larger. Your e-mail provider may have limits on the size of attachments. In order to be added to the e-mail list, send a request message to ChevPU57@aol.com. In addition to receiving each issue of the newsletter earlier than your hard copy peers, email subscribers are able to print each copy in vibrant color -- an added plus if the issue is rich in color photographs. By subscribing electronically, you also save the club roughly $17.40 a year in printing and postage expenses.
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
Drag-free Drif ts "The true fisherman loves to catch fish, to match his wits against the wary trout, but as he wanders from pool to pool the songs of birds greet him restfully; every turn in the stream reveals a nook in which strange wild flowers nestle. The gentle excitement of the sport prevents the scene from becoming monotonous. The element of chance, the uncertainty of the catch, adds the drop of tabasco sauce which gives zest to the day." -- from The Idyl of the Split-Bamboo, first published in 1920 uring a recent camping and fishing trip in the Big Horn Mountains, I noticed license plates from throughout the United States: Folks had traveled to the Bighorns from Maryland to Florida. I camped next to a fly angler from Pennsylvania, who drives to the Big Horns every summer to cast dry flies to cutthroat trout. Wyoming is a national destination for camping and fishing, and I feel fortunate to live in a place with such a spectacular backyard. August was a busy month for the Fly Casters. August was especially busy for one particular Fly Caster -- conservation committee chair and board member Matt Stanton, who deserves much credit for organizing the Platte River clean up on Aug. 12. The other conservation committee members worked hard in organizing the clean up as well. In the future, if the weather is nice, all conservation com-
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mittee meetings shall be held on the porch of Tony Martin's house. The clean-up was a success, and we can all now enjoy a more scenic float down the North Platte. It's also good to know that less chemicals and toxins will be leaching into the river. Don Jelinek, Lloyd Ferguson, and Ed Rate also deserve credit in organizing and preparing a first-class meal for the guide forum that took place later that evening. Your efforts are much appreciated. Charlie Shedd, Joe Meyer, and Spencer Amend gave fly casting lessons on Aug. 10-11. Meyer was able to convert some of the students into new club members. The next significant event for the club is the Wyoming Hunting and Fishing Heritage Expo taking place at the Casper Events Center on Sept. 10-12. Marty Robbinson has volunteered to coordinate the booth, while Joe Meyer is coordinating casting instruction. For this year, Robinson wants to make our booth educational and interactive, with fly tying, photos of insects, along with nymph specimens. I will be unable to attend the Sept. 9 picnic, because my wife and I will be camping and fishing in the Black Hills. But I hope everyone has a good time, and enjoys good food and comraderie. Tight lines, Alex
Letter to the editor New WFC member likes the welcome Editor: I enjoy the Backcast very much, very professional newsletter. I joined Fly Casters this year. My wife wanted to give me a Christmas present of a day with a guide for $500 or so. I said, “You know fish don’t like me, they laugh when they hear my name. Let me join a group.” So I joined. I went to the casting free day, had a great time. Came to the August
meeting, had a great time, lots of enthusiasm. And last week Joe Meyer called me up and said the club was going to take some new members out to show them how to fish. I went, I learned, I had a great time and caught fish. I got to have great tasting trout cooked by Joe with his top secret recipe (salt, pepper, butter). I appreciate the Fly Casters. Keep up the good work, and I will participate. Steve Kurtz Editor’s note: A photo of Steve (and other new members who attended the outing for new members) can be found on page 6.
Cover shot: Tom McGeorge with a rainbow from a pond on 33 Mile Road.
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
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BRAG BOARD From the membership
The annual WFC barbecue is slated for the regular meeting on Sept. 9 in the picnic area of the Izaac Walton League clubhouse. It begins at 6:00 p.m.
Annual club picnic is slated The September general meeting is to feature the annual cookout. Don Jelinek is in charge of the hamburger and Italian sausage barbecue. The Sept. 9 picnic is to begin at 6:00 p.m. Although no program is to be offered, the usual raffle is to be conducted. Those attending are asked to bring a covered dish, an appetizer, a salad, a relish tray or a dessert to share. As usual, BYOB. If you are planning to attend and did not have an opportunity to sign up at the August general meeting, call Melody Weinhandl at 333-29291 or Don Jelinek at 267-7477 and provide an idea how many family members are slated to attend. Chef Ptomaine needs an estimate on numbers in order to shop for grocery items. On Sept. 26, the third annual Glenrock float is slated, but could possibly be cancelled for lack of interest. A signup sheet was circulated during the August general meeting, but only one boat (and one pontoon) was committed when seven anglers desire a place on a watercraft. Anyone intending on attending should contact Randy Stalker, the streamkeeper, at 436-8774, or sign up at the September general meeting. The float begins at the Big Muddy access, approximately 7 miles west of
Glenrock on the old highway (milepost 171), turn on county road 22, the Cole Creek Road. The boat ramp is on the north side of the bridge. The float is approximately four miles, and takes about three hours to float, including breaks for wading to cover the water effectively. Most of the river is bordered by public lands, but respect the red signs which indicate priviate ownership. Hopefully, the floating moss will have cleared in the river by late September; otherwise it could be a miserable float. Effective patterns to use on this stretch of the river include vanilla buggers, size 8 beadhead halfbacks, San Juan worms, soft hackle hare’s ears, and pheasant tail nymphs. At times, fish will feed on the surface on tiny dries. • Mark your calendars for these upcoming events: On Oct. 17, Casey Leary will resurrect the Rod Robinder outing on Miracle Mile. This outing has not been held for several years. But in the past it has been a popular and well-attended outing. And the following weekend, Oct. 24, Alex Rose is to host the second annual night fishing outing at Grey Reef. The program for the October meeting is to feature Joe Meyer’s presentation on how he mounts flies for fly plates, for auction during the April banquets.
Joe Meyer hooked and landed this secret size fish at a secret fishing hole on a secret pattern. It was so secret that he insisted I leave my lens cap on when snapping this photo.
This mystery fisherman caught a 3 ounce whopper on his favorite stream on a size 10 foam hopper. “My arm is still aching,” he said of the fight with the pygmy brook trout.
Molly Levine with just one of the fish she caught during the annual Ten Sleep outing in early August. To include your fishing report, send information to the Backcast editor, c/o ChevPU57@aol.com.
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
FLY
of the month
DAVE’S HOPPER Hook: 4-12 Thread: brown Tail: Red deer belly hair Hackle: Brown rooster neck Body: Yellow poly yarn Wing: Mottled turkey quill Legs: Knotted ringneck pheasant tail Head and collar: Natural deer body Hair, spun and trimmed to shape A host of new, innovative grasshopper patterns have emerged in the last few years, particularly those tied with buoyant foam materials, but the old standby that still produces is Dave Whitlock’s hopper. It is a tie which requires about 30 steps, and the most difficult may be the spun deer hair head which is trimmed to a square shape. Hopper patterns are wildly popular from early summer through the autumn months, and the fish key on them. Few can resist a juicy morsel floating high. An advantage to hopper patterns is no finesse is required then they are cast. A splashy presentation duplicates the real insect’s landing on the water. Fish can be observed darting cross a pool straight to the hopper when alerted by the awkward splat. You can tie these patterns in a variety of sizes, but eights or tens appear to be the most popular. If you are going to float the Snake outside of Jackson or fish the Lamar or Soda Butte in Yellowstone, tie some jumbos, as large as size 2s. New patterns like the club sandwich, Chernobyl, Fat Albert, etc. have taken some of the limelight from Dave’s venerable hopper, but the old timer deserves a place in your terrestrial fly box.
“No, Lloyd! This is a no live bait stretch of the stream. Besides, that is not a nightcrawler.” That’s Lloyd Ferguson having a hard time casting his rod, while Ed Rate gives a smile of encouragement while hiking up the Boxelder Canyon trail in early August.
Is that a splake or a brook trout? Local wardens have noted that many anglers are having trouble distinguishing the difference between brook trout and splake. Since these two game fish have separate daily creel and possession limits, it is important for anglers to know the difference. Splake are a hybrid between a male brook trout and a female lake trout. The best way to differentiate a splake from a brook trout is by the tail. Splake have a forked tail while brook trout have a square tail. Splake have been stocked in a number of waters in Wyoming particularly in some of the lakes in the Medicine Bow, Bighorn and Shoshone national forests. Splake are often valuable as a fisheries management tool helping to control over populations of
brook trout and sometimes nongame species such as suckers. They have characteristics of both lake and brook trout, growing to a larger size than brook trout and exhibiting the piscivorous (fish-eating) characteristics of lake trout. The state record splake weighed 12.74 pounds and was caught in 2004 out of Libby Lake in the Snowy Range area of the Medicine Bow National Forest. Anglers may catch and possess six splake with no more than one over 20 inches. For brook trout, anglers may catch and possess up to 16 with no more than six over eight inches. Remember, next time you are fishing in waters that have splake, be sure to look at the tail.
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WFC sponsors guide’s forum
Ideas to improve North Platte fishery outlined Facilitated and reported by Spencer Amend, WFC Secretary ollowing a very successful river cleanup day, guides and other cleanup participants were treated to a scrumptious barbeque prepared and served by Don Jelinek, Ed Rate, Lloyd Ferguson and Randy Stalker on Aug. 15, using a grill provided and manned by Pat LaFountain. After stuffing ourselves, we got down to the business of considering the North Platte fishery. Matt Stanton, conservation committee chairman, welcomed participants and indicated that their knowledge and input would be important as the conservation committee and the board develop an agenda for protecting and enhancing our local, worldclass fishery. I then explained the context of this meeting – that this is one of the first steps in gathering information upon which to base our conservation agenda. Three senior guides, Ryan Anderson, Eric Aune, and Josh Grube, provided most of the following input:
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Issues, Concerns and Problems Related to the North Platte Fishery • Not having enough readily available information for fishermen, both local anglers and out of town anglers. Information is lacking on regulations and on such things as protecting spawning sites. • Not having enough information available on site, as opposed to having to go to a fly shop or other source off-site. • Lack of signage indicating what is going on with specifics for that stretch of water – lack of focused and intensive information. Lack of signs at the waters edge where anglers spend time. • Lack of clear, concise messages such as “Wild born trout are worth protecting.” • Adjacent landowners regularly dumping yard waste into the river. • Setting bad examples for others. Example: the handling of Russian olives at Cardwell recently. • Pelicans [and other predatory birds]. • Spillage from the Casper landfill seeping into the river. • Out of state guides not putting any dollars into the local economy. • Invasive species. • Trout numbers declining. Automatically stocking more trout into [especially] the upper 8 miles of the river may not be the answer. First find out why numbers are low. • Creel survey. Perhaps in the future, run the questionnaire by people who work on the river all the time. Some of this year’s questions appeared dated. • Consideration of making certain portions of the river barbless only areas. • Inconsistency and otherwise poor timing of flushes. Advice, Suggestions and Things to Consider An information hut at the dam or even at every major access area. Information to include focused explanations at the riverside for that area, more explicit and detailed information on public versus private lands, and signage to include mileage to the next public section. And identification of important locales such
as the Pump Hole. • At Cardwell: consider making it catch and release only, flies only, and barbless hooks only. Put a dumpster at Cardwell. Improve signage at Cardwell regarding public versus private holdings. • Close concentrated redds to fishing. In G&F contacts, have something said about not fishing or otherwise disturbing redds. • Send letters to adjacent landowners asking them not to dump yard waste or other trash into the river. Investigate the legality of such routine dumping and if necessary seek to make it illegal. • Enforce any and all existing codes and other rules regarding dumping. • Implement regular water testing in and around the Casper landfill. • Increase education efforts regarding invasive species. Encourage fishermen to phase out their use of felt soles. • Do not do further stocking of the upper stretches until answers are available on the cause of declining numbers. Consider the benefits of making this section, especially, a “wild trout” area. • Work towards making the entire North Platte down to Glenrock a blue ribbon fishery. • Encourage BuRec to do flushes in a consistent manner and with consistent timing, giving increased consideration of spawning regimes of trout. If possible, do it as soon as the ice is gone. In conclusion, we encouraged these guides to stay tuned to the ongoing process and to invite their colleagues to join in. If WFC members reading this wish to add either issues or suggestions, please contact Matt Stanton at stantonmatt@msn.com. Your input is important as we work on building the club’s conservation agenda for the coming years.
CONSERVATION CORNER by Matt Stanton, Chairman The North Platte cleanup on Aug. 15 was an immense success. Over 25 volunteers turned out representing not only the WFC, but local guide services, the BLM, and the Wyoming Wildlife Federation as well. The skies were ominous for most of the day, but the rain held off long enough for a majority of the trash to be deposited in the Robertson Road dumpsters generously paid for by the City of Casper's “Keep Casper Beautiful” campaign. Unfortunately, a couple of the folks in boats were forced to row faster as the downpour caught up to them, I suppose a little drama makes for a better river story. At the end of the day we had filled two large dumpsters to near-capacity with over thirty bags of trash and a variety bulky treasures. As of that stormy Saturday evening, over 1000 lbs. of trash no longer resided in the water and on the shores of the North Platte River. Great job everyone!
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
STREAMSIDE CHEF by Daren Bulow
Beer Batter Fish and Shrimp I used to limb line for catfish in Nebraska, and we would catch hundreds of pounds of catfish in a weekend. We would usually have 8 to 10 people and divide up the catfish between us. That is a lot of catfish to eat. So I tried many different ways to fix them. I settled on this recipe. It also works equally well on big trout. I like to use it on fish over 25 inches, since you are cutting cubes. I always add one cup of shrimp since one large trout may not be enough for a meal.
Secret spots are revealed to a few rookie fly tossers On Saturday, Aug. 22, Joe Meyer took five new members (Steve Kurtz, Jim Herrin, Claude Wham, John Osse and Cameron Brown) to some ponds on 33 Mile Road. Members Bob Stewart, Matt Stanton, Tom McGeorge and Jory Delinger assisted in casting and providing knot tying instructions. Everyone caught fish, for some their first on a fly rod. Fish were fried for those who liked to eat them. Everybody wanted to be included in the next outing. If anybody else would like to go with Joe, call him at 235-1316.
Ingredients 1 egg 1 cup of beer 1 1/8 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. salt ¾ tsp. garlic salt 1 large trout, cubed into 1/2 inch chunks 1 cup of shrimp Preparation Mix all ingredients. Take fish fillet and chunk into ½ inch pieces. Wash with water and pat dry with paper towel. Heat 2 inches of cooking oil in pan. Dip pieces in batter, fry till golden brown in hot oil turning in hot oil as necessary. Adjust batter ingredients as needed so it doesn’t get too thick or too thin. Enjoy!
Know of anyone who’s a little under the weather? Do you know of a WFC member who is recovering from an illness or surgery or a death in the family? If you do, please contact Joe DeGraw at 258-0177. He will make the arrangements to send a get well card, a book or a sympathy card to that person to let them know that we're thinking of them.
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New to the club? Need advice? Most people join our club to learn where to fish and to improve their fishing technique. If we are to keep members active, experienced members of the club need to be available to give lessons on technique or fishing location information. To that end, Joe Meyer and Daren Bulow would like you to know that they are available to help and they are encouraging other members to add their names to this list so that new members can call someone for help, offer ideas on fishing spots, or maybe even take them fishing. Call Joe at 235-1316 or Daren at 247-2578.
Digital reminders are available for WFC activities Do you have trouble remembering when there are WFC functions? Have you ever forgotten a function and then remembered about it when it was over? Scott Novotny is undertaking a reminder program for club activities, etc. He requests that members send him an email so that he can have your e-mail address and then he will send out a timely reminder by e-mail of any activities. He promised that your e-mail address would only be used for the purpose of sending the reminder. Send your e-mail to Scott Novotny at gscottn@gmail.com.
M Y F LY B OX Lloyd Ferguson likes things economical, so he carries most of his arsenal in a single box. One side features a selection of high-floating hairwing dry flies, while the opposite side contains nymphs, worms, eggs and midges. (But not a rattlesnake imitation in the lot.)
PRFS goes green! Recycle worn waders into new fishing products Don’t let your old waders go to the landfill; they can now be recycled. Please drop off your old unwanted breathable waders at the Platte River Fly Shop. Mark Boname reports the old waders are being refashioned into wallets and chest packs.
Matt Stanton casts his one-weight line and renegade into a promising pool on the middle fork of Ten Sleep Creek in early August during the annual club outing in the Big Horns.
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
Drift boat fishing 101 Chapter 10: Wind, the Fly Fisherman’s Best Friend (Part 2 iffle-dwelling mayflies-The life cycle of riffle-dwelling mayflies is similar to that of the salmonfly, although the total life expectancy of riffle-dwelling mayflies is measured in weeks and months, depending upon species, instead of years. Segments of the population emerge every day from May through October or November, with most emergences occurring from mid-July through mid-September. Nymphs are tiny, seldom being much longer than half a centimeter. They are grazers, feeding on vegetation atop, between, and under rocks in shallow riffles. Every fly fisherman has read about the spectacular emergence of big mayflies in the evening on many eastern streams and lakes, as well as lakes of the Great Plains, Ozarks, and eastern Mexico. Numerous newspaper accounts tell how millions of dead mayflies make bridges and roads near streams and lakes so slippery as to halt traffic. But, in general, the hatching of riffle-dwelling mayflies is anything but spectacular. One peculiarity about riffle-dwelling mayflies is that the nymphal form is negative phototropic. That is, it responds to sudden decreases in light intensity. When the nymph is ready to emerge, it climbs out from under the rock and there awaits the passage of a shadow across the water. Most often the shadow is caused by a cumulus cloud floating above the ridgeline passing in front of the sun. As soon as the shadow is cast on the riffle, nymphs ready to emerge let go of rocks and swim the short distance to the surface, where, in a matter of seconds, they break from exoskeletons, grow wings, and flutter into the air as duns (or subimagos). Upstream winds transport the duns to nearby vegetation, where they land, again shed their exoskeletons (exocuticles, by scientists)-and become mature adults. Adults mate in the evening. Males die and females rest during the night. Fertile females take flight sometime in mid-morning and are conveyed further upstream on morning breezes, where, depending on species, eggs are scattered over, laid on, or deposited
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under the surface of the water. Shortly thereafter, the females die. The process of oviposition is known to fly fishermen as the "spinner fall." The eggs and/or egg sacs strewn or deposited by the spinner sink or break. The eggs bounce downstream, coming to rest among stones in riffles. There they hatch, thus starting the life cycle anew. Ironically, several generations of many riffle-dwelling mayflies are produced during a single season. Trout and other fishes feed continuously on riffle-dwelling mayflies. Every day, riffles in the South Fork of the Snake River, for example, churn with trout slurping drifting duns. Ironically, some fly fishermen do not recognize the causal effect of upstream winds and cloudinduced shadows on the daily emergence of riffle-dwelling mayflies, and resulting competitive behavioral effects of feeding trout on drifting mayflies. I do not know how much energy can be derived from eating a Pale Morning Dun. It cannot be much, because eating a tiny mayfly is tantamount to eating a snowflake! Trout feeding on mayflies probably use those organisms for maintenance energy only. Certainly they are not depending on those insects for growth or reproductive energy. Growth and reproductive energies are supplied mostly by life-cycle stages of the salmonfly. If trout use riffle-dwelling mayflies for maintenance energy only, obviously trout cannot afford energetically to stay in a riffle continuously. That would be too expensive. When a shadow is cast over a riffle and emergence of riffle-dwelling mayflies commences, trout, holding in deeper, quieter waters at the foot of the riffle where less energy is expended in maintaining position, start feeding on the surface, first at the base of the riffle, then progressively further and further upstream in the riffle. The movement upstream is probably a forced response to lessen competition with other trout and other fishes (e.g., whitefish) responding in the same way. Soon the riffle is alive with trout feeding on the floating duns. Grasshoppers-In valleys of the Great Basin, there are two common
The following article is an excerpt from the electronic book, Hunt - Don’t Pray - for Fish, Techniques and Strategies for Fly Fishing from a Drift Boat, written by Harley W. Reno, Ph.D., a friend of the Wyoming Fly Casters and occasional program presentor. The entire content is copyrighted by the author, and is used here with his permission. The CD is available for purchase through the Federation of Fly Fishers, and 80 percent of the $25 cost of each CD is being donated by the author back to the federation for its conservation and education funds. In the coming months, other chapters of Dr. Reno’s book are to be featured in the Backcast.
groups of grasshoppers. One group includes a large, nomadic grasshopper, which is black or dark brown. When it flies, the bright red, membranous hind wings are clearly visible. The other group includes smaller forms, many of which are brown or yellow-brown, with bright red hind legs, and yellow-colored bodies and membranous hind wings. From late July through September, both types of grasshoppers begin flying and "singing" in flight, when temperatures of ground surfaces approach 80 degrees F. That usually is sometime after 10:00 in the morning, when upstream winds have started. Once started, those winds moving around outside bends of a canyon are faster than those passing around inside bends, and they warm ground surfaces more quickly. Grasshoppers on the outside bend obviously warm more quickly, begin flying sooner, and start "vocalizing" earlier than residents on inside bends of the canyon. Grasshoppers, too, are considered feeble flyers, and, as such, they regularly are whisked off the outside bends and out over the water while conducting their aerial territorial displays and courtship dances. The larger grasshopper has little trouble flying to land on either side of the stream. The smaller grasshopper, however, often fails to return to land, being
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter forced to alight in the water instead. As soon as the grasshopper lands in the water, it immediately turns upstream and starts swimming towards the shore. Trout, which were brought into the bank during migration of stonefly nymphs a month earlier, are in position to intercept the grasshopper as it nears the safety of the shoreline and overhanging vegetation. Strategies The fly fisherman in a drift boat has the advantage when fishing the emergence of the salmonfly in late spring or early summer and the abundance of grasshoppers in late summer. The wade fisherman has the advantage when fishing the daily emergence of riffle-dwelling mayflies. The fly fisherman from a drift boat obviously has access to the greatest numbers of riffles. Strategies for fishing hatches of the salmonfly and riffledwelling mayflies as well as misfortunes of grasshoppers during the late summer and early fall are simple, requiring little casting skill. One only has to be observant, attentive, and prepared to respond quickly. Here are a few strategies, some of which are correlated with environmental conditions and/or behavioral features of the organism. Salmonfly-There are two ways to fish emergence of the salmonfly. The first is to fish imitations of migrating nymphs before and during emergence of the adult. The other way is to fish floating imitations of the adult as emergence daily progresses upstream. Fly fishermen usually opt for the latter, because fishing a dry fly is exciting, and trout of all sizes feed on adult salmonflies. Many fly fishermen live only to fish the few days of the hatch, because fish take anything that is big, ugly, orange, and floating. Some fly fishermen are fortunate enough to spend weeks fishing "the hatch," traveling from stream to stream as the hatch moves geographically from more southern latitudes to more northern ones. A few fly fishermen enjoy fishing the 7- to 10-day period before emergence of the salmonfly. Those fly fishermen use nymphs. I recommend fishing the days before the hatch because the really big fish prefer feeding on nymphs, and there are fewer fishermen with whom to compete. Besides, to trout, nymphs are more numerous, and they are easier to catch than adults. While feeding on nymphs, the fish is also less likely to be exposed to predators lurking above the surface. Nymph. At any fly-fishing or flytying exposition, tiers of stonefly nymphs
fashion patterns that either have straight bodies or curved bodies. Tiers of straightbodied patterns argue that a straight-bodied fly more closely imitates a crawling nymph. Tiers of curved-body patterns counter with the argument that a curvedbody fly more closely resembles a drifting nymph. That argument seems senseless. Proponents of each style are correct. The nymph of the salmonfly exhibits both shapes. When and where each is exhibited are functions of water depth and speed of current. When a nymph is crawling over the bottom-whether in deep or shallow water, fast or slower current-its body shape is straight. If the nymph is dislodged but remains close to the bottom, the nymph retains a straight body posture with legs extended at right angles. That is the posture of stabilization. The sooner the dislodged nymph is stabilized and can grasp the bottom, the less likely it becomes food for a predator. If, however, the nymph is dislodged while climbing a vertical surface (e.g., a steep bank, face of a rock, or abutment of a bridge) regardless of the speed of the current, the nymph assumes a C-shaped body posture. That posture has less exposed surface area. As a result, the nymph experiences less drag and an increased rate of sink. The quicker the nymph gets to the bottom, the more likely it survives. As soon as it nears the bottom, the nymph straightens out, assuming the posture of stabilization. If you have trouble envisioning how shape influences the rate of sink and ability to stabilize motion, think about a skydiver. When a skydiver jumps from an airplane, the first thing he or she does is hold the legs together and press arms close to the body, assuming a shape with the least amount of surface area. Once the skydiver passes under the tail assembly, he or she flattens out by spreading the arms and legs horizontally. That slows the rate of descent and lets the individual maneuver during free-fall. If the skydiver wants to increase the rate of descent-say to catch up with another skydiver-he or she simply tucks in the arms and legs. The body has less exposed surface, which lessens drag, hence increases the rate of fall. During the descent, if the skydiver wishes to maneuver horizontally, the arms and legs are extended to slow the rate of fall, effecting drift in the desired direction. Somewhere in that mix of insanity, the skydiver pulls the rip chord, and the parachute opens, letting the skydiver land safely on the ground.
Page 9 The best strategy for the nymph fisherman is to have two rods rigged: one with a heavily weighted, straight-bodied nymph of a salmonfly and the other with a lighter, curved-bodied nymph. The heavily weighted nymph is fished along the bottoms of deep channels and shallow shoals, where the current can tumble the nymph on or a few inches above the bottom. The curved body pattern is fished where the banks are steep, rocks are abundant, and bridge abutments occur. That pattern should be drifted over and along sides of objects. My strategy is simpler still. I exclusively fish Doctor's Remedy or Streamliner tied in black or dark brown. Those flies by design "swim" horizontally with some tumbling when fished along the bottom, and they parachute downward when fished along vertical structures. Thus, one fly does for me in two habitats what two flies do for others in the same two habitats. Adult. During the salmonfly hatch, any large, brown floating fly (at least two inches long) tied with an orange venter will catch surface feeding fish. A salmonfly that falls or lands in the water sinks to half its body depth. The legs are held horizontally across the surface of the water, and wings either extended horizontally across the surface or folded flat along the dorsum of the body. The legs are always moving, as though the adult is running across the surface. When the wings are extended, they vibrate up and down, while being constrained by surface tension of the water. The low profile of an adult salmonfly on the water is important. The dry fly imitation should exhibit an equally low profile and have the wings folded flat over the body when floating on the surface. Thus far I have seen no imitation tied in which the wings are extended horizontally with the capability of limited up-and-down vibration. Such flies would be clumsy, terribly wind resistant, and tough to cast. Keep the pattern simple. Avoid buying and using any pattern with hair wings set in a vertical profile. This style of salmonfly will catch fish during the height of the hatch, when fish mistakenly swallow anything that has the same general size, shape, and color of an adult salmonfly. However, that mistake in behavior is both a short-term habituation and an unpredictable event in trout biology. More importantly - at least to the tier - that style probably catches more fly fishermen than trout. Some, no doubt, will adamantly disagree.
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Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
Length of stay changes mulled for Big Horn Forest Attention fellow fly fishers and campers of the Big Horn National Forest. A recent trip to the Big Horn National Forest revealed that there are plans to change the amount of time one can stay in any developed campsite such as Deer Park or Prune Creek or in any dispersed campsite such as near Deer Park or Bull Creek. Fellow campers should take note that if the proposal is adopted you will be effected by it and may find that it will be very difficult for you to stay where you want. Comments can be sent via email at comments-bighorn@fs.fed.us as noted in the press release or mailed to Dave McKee, 2013 Eastside Second Street, Sheridan, Wyoming 82801. Please make sure to label your email with the subject: Length of Stay as noted in the press release. Comments must be received before November 1, 2009. If you have questions you may call me at 234-2594 or feel free to call the USFS in Sheridan at (307) 674-2600. --Dick DePaemelere
Table 1. Current Bighorn National Forest Camping Provisions and Proposed Action. Mode of Provision No Action Proposed Action Camping Current Dispersed Camping Length of first stay (June 1 – Sept 10) Length of second stay (June 1 – Sept 10) Relocation distance of second site from first site – year round Earliest reoccupation of previously occupied site Off season dispersed campsite length of stay (Sept 11 – May 31) Developed Camping Length of first stay (June 1 -Sept 10)
14 days 14 days
16 days or any portion thereof 16 days or any portion thereof
Five Air Miles
One Air Mile
14 days
30 days
No Limit
30 days first location; then must move one air mile for another 30 day stay
14 days at most 16 days or any part thereof campgrounds. One (hunter) has a 7 day limit and three (Boulder Park, Cabin Creek, & Lost Cabin) have a 30 day limit
Earliest reoccupation of previously used campground – year round
14 days
30 days
Length of stay June 1 through Septr 10 at a second campground
14 days
16 days or any part thereof
Requirements to occupy site
Site must be occupied during the first 24 hour period.
Occupancy of site during the first 24 hour period
Length of stay (Sept 11 through May 31)
14 days at most campgrounds. One (Hunter) has a 7 day limit and three have 30 day limits (Boulder Park, Cabin Creek, & Lost Cabin)
30 days. No first 24 hour period occupancy required
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
Page 11
Treasurer's Report - April, May, June, July, 2009 INCOME DATE 6-Apr 6-Apr 6-Apr 6-Apr 6-Apr 6 Apr 14 Apr 21 May
EXPENSES DATE 4-Apr 4 Apr 6-Apr 6-Apr 6-Apr 6-Apr 12-Apr 12-Apr 12-Apr 12 Apr 12-Apr 30 Apr 30-Apr 1-May 1 May 12 May 20 May 20 May 20 May 31 May 2-Jun 10 Jun 10 Jun 3 Jun 17 Jun ? 30 Jun 8 Jul 31 Jul
VENDOR - ITEM deposit - dues deposit - dues Deposit - Banquet Raffle - 935.00, Auction - 3,440.00 deposit - Banquet Meals deposit - Big Game License - 4,497.15, Donation - D. O'Quinn 500.00 deposit - dues 20.00, Big Horn Outing 1,125.00 deposit - dues deposit - Big Horn Outing 335.00, Banquet Auction Banquet Meals 390.00, Banquet (Replace Bad Cks/Fee) 57.00 TOTAL INCOME
AMOUNT 20.00 835.00 4,375.00 1,980.00 4,997.15 1,145.00 380.00 600.00 1,382.00 $15,114.15
CK # #3965 #3966 #3967 #3968 #3969 #3970 #3971 #3972 #3973 #3974 #3975 #3976 #3977 #3978 #3979 #3980 #3981 #3982 #3983 #3984 #3985 #3986 #3987 #3988 #3989 #3990 -
AMOUNT 20.95 2,344.88 16.80 184.00 75.00 110.71 70.00 95.00 147.03 1,103.70 322.45 57.00 13.65 106.62
VENDOR - ITEM Ugly Bug - Banquet Ramada Plaza - Banquet Meals US Postmaster - Office Exp Tony Martin - Backcast Postage Izaak Walton League - Rent April Ugly Bug - Raffle Exp 3/11/09 Ron Dutton - Overpayment - Big Horn Outing L. Ferguson - Big Horn Outing - Food 90.00, Permit 5.00 E. Rate - Big Horn Outing - Food Cottonwood Camp - Big Horn Outing - Lodging/Boat Rental Don Jelinek - Big Horn Outing - Food Banquet Return Cks 50.00, Bank Fee 7.00 (see deposit May 21) Bank Service Charges Ugly Bug - Raffle Exp -5/12/09 VOID D. DePaemelere - Postage & Envelopes - Banquet Thank Yous The Finishing Touch - Banquet Fly Plate VOID Scott Novotny - Food - Cardwell Outing Joe DeGraw - - TU State Council Meeting Don Jelinek - Gen Mtg Refreshments Bank Service Charges Marvin Nolte - Award Pins Fed Ex Office - Backcast Printing (ck Appears to be lost) Izaak Walton - Rent May/June Don Jelinek - Folding /tables (2) Lodging TU Trip Game & Fish - Heritage Expo (Not certain when ck written) Bank Service Charge Don Jelinek - Walker Jenkins Outing Bank service charge TOTAL EXPENSES
4.24 126.00 115.09 63.00 9.00 3.00 262.50 238.40 150.00 103.68 149.80 1,000.00 3.00 138.00 3.00 $7,036.50
Page 12
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
WYOMING FLY CASTERS BOARD MEETING MINUTES -- DRAFT August 20, 2009 The meeting was called to order by President Alex Rose at 7:00 pm. All board members were present except for Melody and Smokey Weinhandl [excused absence], Gene Theriault [unexcused absence], Bill Wichers [excused absence], and Matt Stanton [excused absence]. Dick DePaemelere and Tony Martin attended parts of the meeting. To review the changes to the board in the last little while: Joe DeGraw resigned as president, replaced by Alex Rose. Kim Levine resigned as treasurer, replaced by Ed Rate. John Fanto resigned, replaced by Smokey Weinhandl; Jim Sparks resigned, with no replacement as yet; and Russ Newton resigned, replaced by Neal Ruebush. Secretary’s note: At the board’s request, I include a list of absent members in each month’s report. A list of board members can be found in each month’s Backcast. Unless otherwise noted, all board decisions – being done according to proper procedure – are by unanimous vote. Any positive suggestions for improvement in subsequent meeting reports will be carefully considered. Dick DePaemelere informed the board about proposed changes in camping rules for the Big Horn National Forest. Previously, 14-day stays could be alternated with 14-day vacancies for a particular site; the new rule would allow 16day stays, but would have to be alternated with 30-day vacancies. Dick will provide the entire news release and Forest Service proposal to Randy for inclusion in the Backcast. There has been some difficulty determining which members have paid their dues, and who are current members, as well as who receives the Backcast by email and who gets mailed hard copies. Dick DePaemelere has been keeping the Master List for some time. He will provide assistance to others who are trying to keep track. Alex Rose and Tony Martin discussed the costs of printing and mailing the Backcast. For a 16-page newsletter, the cost per member to print and mail is $28 per year. For a 12page newsletter, the cost is $21.72. After considerable discussion and with the board wanting to settle this issue [at least for the time being], the vote [with one dissenting vote] was to keep the dues structure as it is, and to notify those clubs and other entities receiving free/complimentary copies that for them to continue receiving the Backcast will require that they do so by email. The minutes from the July 15 Board meeting were approved. For several weeks, the club’s financial records have been a bit confusing. Kim Levine has resigned as treasurer. Alex Rose informed the board that Ed Rate has agreed to serve out the remainder of the current treasurer’s term. Ed was appointed in accord with the bylaws, with this action enthusiastically endorsed by the board. Thanks, Ed! Ed has worked to gain control of the financial situation, and appears to have done so. The Board reviewed and discussed the treasurer’s report provided by Ed. The board thanks Matt Stanton and the Conservation Committee for their excellent work organizing the recent river cleanup and guides forum. Bob Fisher apologized for the
confusion that apparently led to none of the guides from the Ugly Bug/Crazy Rainbow participating. I reminded the board that there will be other opportunities for input over the coming months as we move from the results of the guides forum to the development of a full-blown conservation agenda. We still need lots of help, and will provide several additional opportunities for guides and others to give us their ideas. The board thanks Ed Rate, who personally fronted much of the money to pay for the barbeque in conjunction with the river cleanup and guides forum, even though money had been previously approved by the board and promised by the Two Fly Foundation. The board instructed Ed to pay himself back. The board appointed Neal Ruebush as a new board member. Joe Meyer informed the board of his plans for a “no host” outing this Saturday, primarily to help new members learn where and how to fish some of his “secret spots.” He also mentioned casting clinics and fly typing instruction as topics to help new members stay connected to the club. Thanks, Joe! For many of us, this is one of the things that Wyoming Fly Casters does best. On Nov. 21, Trout Unlimited will be holding their annual meeting in Casper. TU has invited WFC to host a barbeque for attendees. After a closely split vote to decline this invitation, the board decided to seek more information and make a final decision at the next meeting. Marty Robinson will be coordinating the club’s booth for the EXPO on Sept. 10-12. Thanks, Marty! Joe Meyer has taken the lead on lining up folks to help with the Fly Casting instruction for the EXPO. Last year, TU provided assistance, but they are not doing so this year. I’ll help on the tenth, but I’m guiding the recipient of WFC’s exchange trip with the Upper Snake River club on the eleventh and otherwise occupied on the twelfth. Art Van Rensselaer, who has been a frequent provider of casting instruction at the EXPO in the past will once again help out. Joe will work with Marty to provide candy or gum “prizes” to those who visit the booth and the fly casting area. Following through on our agreement with the Two Fly Foundation to support the Platte River Revival on Sept. 19, Andrew Sauter and I agreed to participate and to provide our boats. We could still use one other boat if a member wants to volunteer. Alex asked that board members be prepared to work on the succession section of the bylaws soon. He also reminded us that we need to seek a new vice president. The board approved up to $300 for the annual picnic, to be held at the next general meeting, Sept. 9. The board was impressed with the new hat design shown by Scott Novotny and approved $250 for his use in gaining a supply for new members, and for sale to others. Thanks, Scott, for being so creative! The meeting was adjourned at 8:27 pm. Respectfully Submitted: Spencer Amend, Secretary, 8-21-09
Wyoming Fly Casters Monthly Newsletter
Page 13
SEPTEMBER SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY 1
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY 2
FRIDAY
3
SATURDAY
4
5
11
12
Full moon
6
7
8
Regular meeting, 7 p.m.
Labor Day
13
9
14
15
10 G&F Expo
16
17
G&F Expo
Patriot Day; G&F Expo
18
WFC Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
20
21
22
23
Autumn equinox
27
28
19 River cleanup
24
25
26 Glenrock float outing
29
30
Deadline for Backcast info
If ya done it, it ain’t braggin.’ -- Yogi Berra
FREE TO GOOD HOME One pair felt wading sandals, size 11, hardly used. 10 saltwater plugs, includes two cuda killers. One box of saltwater flies, includes several poppers. One full beaver pelt. Call Herb Waterman 235-5638
FOR SALE Bring your camera along on your next fishing trip, and use it to document your catch and release fish. Then send the digital image to the WFC newsletter editor for consideration of inclusion in the next issue. Contributions are always welcome. Who knows ... maybe your photo will be the next month’s cover.
Fleece fingerless fishing gloves. Coleman two-burner stove, like new. Call Don Jelinek 267-7477 • Patagonia SST jacket, XL, Brand new. $175 (list $315). Call Scott Novotny 266-3072
Protect our environment
Inspect - Clean - Dry Take the Clean Angling Pledge www.cleanangling.org